Again...

a time traveler experiences deja vu...

          My name is Golan. I am a time traveler. I’d like to fancy that I’m from the future; although, I’ve been sent back and forth through time so much, I can’t really be sure. But one thing I can say for sure is this. I truly believe that through my efforts as a time traveler I’ve seen it all.
         History repeats. I know. My memory is an archive that spans infinite eons. What was. What could have been. It’s all a miasma of sorts. Now and then have melded. Drifting in and out of time through a chasm of forgotten and unforgettable moments, I find myself here. Again.

         Déjà vu: My memory tells me that sometime in the late nineteenth century I crossed paths with a young politician in a young nation divided who was sat dumbfounded aside a pond. As I came upon him, I noticed how his reflection in the water mirrored his discontent. However, I had to sway the young official to think that his conundrum was not a difficult one.
         Following a short spirited conversation, he realized it was as simple as which color suit to wear, Blue or Gray. Along with a little editing of a future speech, I convinced this young politician to go with Blue. The rest is what you would call history.

         In this case déjà vu works like a diligent child attempting to leap just beyond its capacity. Try. Fail. Try. Fail. Regardless the outcome, the experience is golden. Cherished.

         Flash. Moon colony 9. The first human inhabited region of the earth’s moon is a bubble the size of the Netherlands that lies nestled along the southern region of the sphere. It is a territory of the United States that spans fifty miles underground to approximately one hundred miles overhead where an encapsulated dome rests. Only Americans live here. There are eight other similar colonies; all claimed by other countries, yet here on Moon Colony 9 is the first where actual human beings live. The rest are occupied by artificial intelligence. And here, is where the typical human problems of class, race, gender, religious beliefs, et cetera occur. And here, is where a war will soon take place.
         Dignitaries are a strange bunch. If they haven’t cheated their way into position, then they got there because of their family names. Kings, Lords, Dukes, and even some Presidents, have all shared this commonality. Too bad most aren’t worth the weight of the names they are burdened with. That’s where I come in.
                   Again I am thrust into a situation at which I am to intervene for the sake of a greater good. Another young politician, this time on an even younger plot of land, must make a choice. He stands alone like a child admiring rocks skipping across a shallow stream, staring toward a distant planet Earth. This is my chance to approach him.
         Excuse me, Mr. Lincoln... may I have a moment of your time?

Reviews

[RivkaZ]

Succinct, symmetrical, subtle and superbly executed. I find myself wishing there were just a little bit more, but then, part of the charm of the piece is that it's so concise. Bravo!

[sconzey]

The best science fiction doesn't guess what the future is going to be like... It holds a mirror to the past. Fantastic premise, maybe could have done with a little more development.